ESG considerations have become increasingly important decision-making criteria for organisations and are a means to winning the trust of stakeholders. A positive or strong ESG profile is attractive to potential investors, lenders, customers and employees, and it helps to build the brand of the organisation. A negative or weak ESG profile can be a warning signal, raising questions about the organisation’s long-term sustainability.

Much has been written and discussed at a high level about ESG – with national and international targets, commitments, standards, measurements and scores. But in our series of reports on this subject, we are keen to bring the conversation down to eye level and look at the practical challenges faced by our clients in specific sectors and situations.

Every organisation is unique in terms of its ESG profile and has different ESG priorities. That said, no organisation is alone. ESG ambitions are more likely to be accelerated via a joined up, collaborative approach. For example, this might be vertical, with organisations along a supply chain working together to find ways to meet their mutual ESG aims. More generally, it is about sharing ideas, seeing what progress can be made on a practical level and what lessons can be taken from others on similar ESG journeys.

This collection of articles is aimed at highlighting some of that progress and learnings. 

Stephen Porter, Partner & Head of Corporate Division